Missions
by milady.otaku
Summary: Gaara. Naruto. Sakura. Neji. Temari. Sasuke. Hinata. Previously named Yukkuri Hanashite Kudasai.
1. Chapter 1

Missions Chapter 1

xxx

"S-Sasuke-kun... A-Are you sure we should be doing this...?" Only the soft, hesitant voice could be heard over the labored breathing of Sasuke Uchiha, who frankly didn't really give a shit about "good morals."

"Hyuuga, it's okay. No one will find us," he breathed, kissing her neck quickly as he began to remove her baggy jacket. Truthfully, he was actually hoping that someone would find him pinning the Hyuuga heiress to the wall of one of Konoha's few alleyways, even if it was to only show the spectator that she belonged to him. "Hyuuga, stay still." It had been months since he began to admire the Byakugan wielder; when he came back to the village, he had noticed that she had really grown into a fine young woman... Okay, perhaps hot sexy vixen was a better term, but he was trying to be _somewhat_ decent here.

"S-Sasuke-kun, s-someone's coming..." Hinata whimpered softly, bracing her hands against his chest in attempts to push him away. Unfortunately, she realized that it was to no avail as the Uchiha brought his face back up to hers with his trademark smirk.

"I don't care. Let them watch." Her eyes widened at his comment, and satisfied with her reaction, Sasuke began his ministrations anew. He heard the footsteps, and he could feel Hinata's head turn to view the onlooker, but then something unexpected happened. While his face hovered over the valley of her breasts, her gentle arms quickly wrapped around him and pulled him closer to her. Surprised by the sudden action, the Uchiha wondered what could possess her to do this as her soft voice rang in his ears.

"G-Good morning, Kurenai-sensei." Sasuke froze. She wasn't embracing him because she wanted more- she was afraid, and was trying to hide Sasuke's face from the red eyed woman.

"Uchiha...please remove your face from my pupil's chest." With her stern tone, her request sounded more like an order, and with a heavy sigh the ninja slowly rose his head. However, it was not out of fear; if he continued with his plans, poor Hinata would be embarrassed beyond belief in front of the one woman who cared for her most. "Hinata, Uchiha," Kurenai began, but the quickly noticed the blush that spread across her cheeks, only to realize that she was the one to cause it. "Hinata, _Sasuke_," she corrected, continuing when she saw her pupil's blush fade. "Hokage-sama said to report to her office immediately. It seems as if you two have a mission." With that, she darted off, only to smile inwardly. _Oh, Hinata. You sure do know how to pick them._

Sasuke stood upright now, running a hand through his hair as he sighed once more. He was _really_ beginning to enjoy himself. He glanced over at Hinata and smirked; her head was down, her hands shakily zipping up her jacket, and he could just _tell_ that she was blushing. "Hyuuga...?" he questioned playfully; he never used her first name in fear that overuse-age would wear out its effect on him, but she didn't know that. _Probably never will,_ he noted to himself as she turned her head away. It was then he noticed her lips were moving, and with haste he eased his ears so he could hear her.

"...going."

"I'm sorry..? I didn't quite catch that..." he growled huskily, taking a step towards her. "Could you-"

"I said we should get going!" Her reply was breathless and rushed; much different from her normal stuttering, and the avenger took notice with a smirk.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go." With that, he took off, leaving her behind.

xxx

Hinata arrived at the Hokage's office many moments after Sasuke. She was somewhat glad that they didn't enter together, for the group that was gathered in the large circular office surely would have questioned them. Behind the large doors contained a Neji Hyuuga, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki, along with Shizune and the Lady Hokage herself. "Now that everyone is here, I can finally begin." Hinata shifted in her spot; she didn't take _that_ long, did she? "Let me be frank. There is a very important mission in need of all your services. There is suspicion in Sunagakure that the Kazekage is planning for war against Konoha."

"Gaara? There's no way-!" Naruto began, but was swiftly cut off.

"Naruto, I understand your doubt; I have some of my own, but it is also to be believed that he is not doing this on his own accord. Therefore, we need a group to infiltrate a large dinner party being held in Suna." Hinata looked around at the other shinobi, her eyes stopping on a certain white eyed male. _If Lady Hokage needs the Byakugan, why are we both here...?_ She would have asked the Hokage herself, but as if he had read Hinata's mind Neji beat her to the punch.

"Hokage-sama, why are both Hinata-sama and I here? Surely you don't need _both_ of our Byakugans?" When Tsunade was reluctant to respond, the prodigy furrowed his brow. "Hokage-sa-"

"I was hoping to tell this to Hinata on her own, but since this is a group mission..."

"Baa-chan? What's up...?" Naruto asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"Hinata...it is to my understanding that you are still a virgin, correct?" The shy kunoichi blushed; why did the Hokage bring that up?

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama." She answered meekly, her gaze now directed at her feet.

"Hinata... It is possible that... That you might not be when you return from this mission." Tsunade tried to pick her words carefully, hoping not to upset the white eyed girl, but the sudden outburst she received was from an unexpected party.

"What the hell do you mean?" Sasuke yelled, slamming a hand down on Tsunade's desk which caused immense surpise within his audience.

"Sasuke-kun, you should keep your voice do-"

"Shut up, Sakura! What the hell do you _mean, _Tsunade?"

"That's enough, Sasuke." Tsunade warned, matching his intense glare with her own. "Hinata just happens to be the _only _kunoichi in this village who happens to be the Kazekage's type-"

"JUST _HAPPENS _TO BE HIS TYPE? SO WHAT, SHE'S JUST A TOOL TO BE USED WHENEVER IT'S-"

"SHE'S A SHINOBI, AND ALL SHINOBI HAVE DUTIES TO THEIR VILLAGE!" Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction, but then narrowed at the Hokage as he stepped back.

"Hinata, your mission is to get whatever information possible by any means necessary. Do not hold anything back. Is that understood?" The wide eyed heiress finally snapped back to reality- she was speechless; what was she supposed to say? She looked straight at Sasuke; he looked so angry. What was she supposed to do? "Hinata? Do you understand?" Tsunade repeated, breaking Hinata from her reverie. Turning her gaze from Sasuke, she looked at the Hokage.

"I...I understand, Hokage-sama." Her reply was barely audible, and she could feel Sasuke tense at her submissiveness.

"Good." Tsunade smiled gently. "You are all to leave tomorrow morning. You are dismissed." Hinata's gaze was once again directed to the ground as she hastily left the office, sure that Sasuke would confront her.

_Tomorrow... I hope it never comes._

xxx

She wasn't exactly sure what was going on. Why did Sasuke blow up at the topic of Hinata's virginity? It's not like he liked her or anything... That was impossible, no matter how much Naruto said otherwise! Sasuke was _her _boyfriend, not the shy Hyuuga's! Of course nothing was official yet, but it was just a matter of time...

Sakura was caught from her daydream at the sight of a certain raven haired male. "Sasu-" she was about to call out, until she noticed _another _ninja just footsteps behind her 'lover.' _Hinata... _No, it _had_ to be a coincidence, right? Of course it was! There was no way that _her_ Sasuke was interested in _that._ "Sasuke-kuuuuuun!" she finally called out, dismissing the presence behind the Uchiha. "You're finally here! I made you a bento for-"

"No." Sasuke replied flatly. He was so cool...she loved that about- "I already have one."

Sakura suddenly took slight interest into his comment. "Really? Did you make it yourself? I would love to try-"

"No." There it was again! That sexy voice! "Hyuuga made it for me." The smile on Sakura's face instantly faded as she heard the latest remark. She saw Hinata peek her head out from behind Sasuke, avoiding eye contact.

"Anou...H-Here, Sakura-san. I-I made one for you, too."

Sakura's smile returned; _So she made one for everyone? Good, so she isn't after my Sasuke-kun. _

"Thank you very much, Hinata-chan!" She smiled, happily taking the box from the shy girl, until she realized the other boxes. _One, two..._ "Hey, Hinata? Did you make lunch for _everyone_?" Sakura frowned as she heard the soft 'Hai' from her teammate. "Well then, aren't you one short?" With her remark, she saw the Hyuuga blush slightly and shift her weight from one foot to the other. _Did she really forget...?_

"Oh...um...anou...I-I guess I am...But it's okay...I-I don't need lunch..." Instantly feeling sympathy for Hinata, the pink haired kunoichi began to search in her bag.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan! You can have the one I-"

"We'll share." Sakura froze at that statement, slowly rising her head.

"B-But, S-Sasuke-kun..." _Kun...? Since when did Hinata start calling Sasuke..._

"No 'buts.' My decision is final." Sakura didn't miss the blush on Hinata's cheeks...or the look on Sasuke's face. _I've never seen that look before on Sasuke...what could it..._

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm a little late! Neji here got into an argument with-"

"One more word, Naruto, and I will murder you."

"Heh, sorry, sorry. Anyways, are we all ready to go?"

"N-Naruto-kun...Nii-san...I made you lunch..."

"Wow! Thanks Hinata!"

"Thank you, Hinata-sama."

_Yes...she gave that blush and stutter to everyone..._


	2. Chapter 2

Missions Chapter 2

xxx

_Oh wow, I'm so lucky! I'm on a mission with Hinata-chan!_ Naruto thought happily, devouring the bento that his long-time crush made for him...well, his _recent_, long-time crush. He had just only realized a few days back that the object of his desire had also held feelings for him, and since then he's been reveling in the fact. He already rubbed it in Kiba and Shino's face (although to him it was pure-hearted gloating), and his self-confidence was now boosting through the roof! "Oh wow, Hinata-chan! This is delicious!" the kyuubi container cheered, finishing off the last of his lunch.

"R-Really? T-Thank you very much, Naruto-kun!" The blonde let out a huge grin, then patted (or more like swatted) Hinata on the back.

"Hinata-chan! Why do you stutter all the time? Just relax!" he chuckled, his grin getting wider as he saw the new blush which adorned her cheeks.

"Leave her alone, dobe." Sasuke replied for her, not removing his gaze from the ground as he ate his lunch.

"Oh, Sasuke-teme. You're just jealous that my lunch was made with more love than yours!" Laughing as Sasuke choked on his bite, the kitsune turned his head back to Hinata. "I'm right, aren't I, Hinata-chan?" Hinata blushed again, her pearly eyes becoming wide.

"A-Anou, Naruto-kun..." she mumbled softly, blushing and looking towards the ground.

And then he just _had_ to get in the way.

"Hyuuga...have some." Naruto's head shot towards the avenger, glaring at the hand which slowly brought his chopsticks closer to Hinata's mouth. _Good move, Sasuke, but not good enough._ Just as the food reached the Hyuuga princess' delicate mouth, Naruto _ingeniously_ threw a rock at Sasuke; being a ninja, the Uchiha undoubtly dodged the offending object, but in the process managed to spill the remains of his lunch on his lap. _Heh. Score one for me! Dattebay-_

"Oh, Sasuke-kun! Are you alright? Here, let me clean you up!" Naruto frowned as his hime took out a handkerchief and began to wipe is rival.

"Thanks, Hyuuga." Naruto didn't miss the smug look on Sasuke's face as he leaned back and let Hinata take care of him. Annoyed, the blond turned to a more neglected teammate.

"Hey, Sakura! Just look at them! Aren't they annoying?" he nudged at her, until he noticed the kunoichi's expression. Naruto couldn't help it as his heart leapt in his chest; he couldn't deny the feelings he still held for Sakura, and seeing her sad only made Naruto angrier at Sasuke. _Yes... For Sakura's happiness, I will make Hinata mine..._

They were only a day away from Suna, after all.

xxx

"Welcome to Suna. It's been a while since I've seen you five last." The Hyuuga prodigy starred stoically at the blonde kunoichi with a giant fan attached to her back. "Kazekage-sama is busy at the moment, but I can go ahead and show you to your rooms if you'd like."

"Since when have you been so formal, Temari?" Naruto blurted out in his normal stupidity. "Usually you act so boy-like. It's creepy to see you as a girl!"

"Well, for the record, I didn't realize it was you up until a few moments ago. You were surrounded by such outstanding nin that I didn't get the chance to pay attention to someone as useless and idiotic as you." Temari returned with a strained smile, cocking her head to the side a bit. "Now, if you would be kind enough as to follow me..."

The prodigy overheard the kitsune mumble something about her being closely related to a type of animal before he followed her. The many twists and turns would have caused any intruder to have given up by now, but they were nin; not some run-of-the-mill peasants. After about ten minutes, they reached a hallway with no doors and a dead end.

"Eh? Is this some kind of joke? Where the heck are our rooms, Tema-"

"Shut up, Naruto. It's a genjutsu." Sakura sighed, shaking her head. "After all that training you did with Jiraiya-sama, I can't believe you didn't sense it." Seeing Naruto in a somewhat dejected state gave Neji a little smirk; its not like he _liked _seeing Naruto in pain, he just...enjoyed it when he suffered a bit.

"N-Naruto-kun, please don't be hard on yourself. I-I'm sure _anyone_ could have made that mistake." Neji's smirk instantly faded instantly as that soft and gentle voice caused the kyuubi container to brighten up, and a frown was created as he noticed the Uchiha's countenance.

"But neither you nor I made that mistake, did we, Hyuuga?" Neji's teeth clenched as the soft 'no' was released from the shy kunoichi's lips, causing him to intervene in the Uchiha's actions.

"Stop flirting with my cousin. It's getting annoying." Neji stated simply, hiding his agitation with an emotionless mask. Damn Uchiha, thinking he could play with Hinata- right in front of him, no less!

"I don't _need_ to flirt. She's already head-over-heels in love with me." Neji's head shot up (along with every present shinobi once again), now not hesitating to show his violent scowl, censure overriding his features. Unfortunately, he was not the one who could question the avenger.

"You mean Hyuuga-san is already taken?" Temari had beaten the prodigy to the punch, but this unfortunately meant that their mission was already in danger.

"N-No, Temari-sama! I-I'm not!" she managed to stutter out, a violent blush gracing her fair face. "S-Sasuke-kun just l-likes to mess around with N-Nii-san, that's all! Besides..." pointing her fingers together like she did as a genin, she tilted her head away from the fan-nin's glare and continued softly. "E-Ever since I was twelve, I-I've had a crush on K-Kazekage-sama..."

Neji's attitude did not get any better. Seeing the mixed emotions around the room- the pleasure in Temari's and Sakura's faces countering the disappointment in Naruto's and the plain anger in Sasuke's- caused him to clench his fists until his knuckles were white. _I don't care if she's just acting... That was a bit _too _convincing..._

"Moving right along," Temari interjected, breaking the silence which overcame them, "there is a bit of a problem with the room situation. As you can see, there are only four rooms, which means that two of you will have to partner up." Neji didn't notice when the Suna kunoichi lifted the genjutsu, but he didn't care. As soon as those words came out of Temari's mouth, a silent race was declared. _Quick! Say it! Say-_

"I'll stay with Hinata."

Four different voices responded at the same time, resulting in an automatically flustered kunoichi. _A reason...come up with a reason...!_

"I'm her cousin. I should be the one to stay with her." _A flawless reason. No one could rebuttal tha-!_

"Hey, wasn't it _you_ who tried to kill her in the chunin exam? It would be better if _I_ stayed with her!" Neji instantly scowled at the blonde nin; if looks could kill, then Naruto would have been dead before they reached Suna.

"Naruto, how do you suppose that would work out? You have no _clue_ how to treat a lady. We're both girls, so I should room with her!" There was a long pause, and finally all the ninja turned their glance to Sasuke, expecting a response. Instead, all they got was a shrug.

"What the hell, teme? If you don't have a reason, then why do you want to stay with her?"

Another shrug.

"Sasuke-kun, why don't you room with me? Therefore no one will have to room with Hinata."

"I want Hinata. Is that so hard to understand?"

Neji had enough. "Uchiha, I will tell you once, and only once. Stay away from-"

"What seems to be the problem here?" All bickering stopped as a new voice entered the conversation.

"It's the room situation. It seems like they all want to room with the Hyuuga heiress."

All eyes were on the purpose of their mission. "How childish. Fine then. The heiress will sleep with me."

He hated that decision. He hated that wording. He hated that man. But Neji couldn't do a damn thing about it.

The Kazekage had spoken.

xxx

_Shy...closed to the world...that's my first impression._ The Kazekage intently observed the lady Hyuuga as she nervously unpacked her bag. _Bag... _"Is that all you brought?" Curiosity got the best of him as he eyed her incredulously, inwardly smirking at the sudden blush invading her cheeks.

"A-Anou...H-Hai, Kazekage-sama...W-We had to pack light...f-for the trip..." Gaara inched closer to her, striding slowly across the room while watching Hinata's blush get more intense with each step.

"That must have been hard...I bet it took you a long time to figure out what to bring." _What the hell kind of small talk is this...?_ He mentally shook the thought from his head, keeping his cool demeanor as he crouched down next to her. He turned to gaze at her face, but as his eyes made contact, they instantly went wide. _Amazing...she's even more beautiful up close..._

"A-Anou...K-Kazekage-sama...? I-Is there s-something on my face...?" Gaara took note of her delicate hand as it reached up to press its fingertips gently along her cheek.

"No, it's not that. I was just admiring you, that's all. It's just that-"

"Kazekage-sama! We need you in the west wing!" Gaara snapped his head to attention as a nin popped through the door.

"I'm coming." Gaara said sternly, standing up and walking towards the doorway. "Hinata...please make yourself at home." Not even turning to face her, he left the room, his troubled expression masked with his usual stoicy. _What the heck was that...? That was so out of character for me...that girl is going to drive me crazy._ Smirking to himself, he let out a slight huff._ It's fine. She's perfect for me...a little work won't do me any harm. _Entering a small office, the Kazekage took a seat behind a wooden desk.

_Let the story commence._


	3. Chapter 3

Something I _really _want to happen in Naruto...

Sakura: SASUKE-KUUUUN! DO YOU LOVE ME?

Sasuke: Pfft, NO!

Everyone else: HA! TAKE THAT, SUCKERA!

Missions Chapter 3

xxx

_"Hyuuga."_

_She knew it was coming; ever since she walked out of that office, she knew that the Uchiha avenger would be on her tail. Turning around meekly, the heiress couldn't bear to make eye contact with her- dare she say- _boyfriend_. "S-Sasuke-kun, w-what brings you here...?" She dared to lift her head to gaze at his face, but didn't make it past his mouth; when she saw that familiar line he made with his lips, she hastily ducked her head back down._

_"Do you really intend to go through with this mission?" His voice was as stoic as ever, but it still caused the kunoichi to shy away._

_"I-It's not my decision, Sasuke-ku-"_

_That's all she was allowed to let out as she felt warm lips cover hers. Her eyes went wide, forcing her to stare at the troubled face of the avenger. 'What is he doing...? Isn't he mad at me...?' Hinata was still in midthought (and a bit of shock) as Sasuke pulled away from her._

_"Hyuuga, what do I have to do to get you to stay here?" Hinata couldn't help herself; with the hint of desperation leaking through his voice, she met her pale orbs with his onyx ones._

_"S-Sasuke-kun...?" She was surprised. What was he thinking? Did he _really_ think it would go that far? Suddenly, she felt a strong pair of arms- his arms- wrap around her and pulling her towards his chest. Letting out a slight squeak, she blushed immensely as his mouth went to her ear._

_"Hyuuga...I don't want you to go...I don't want the Kazekage to seduce you; to try and take what's mine." Her breathing got shaky as his hot breath warmed her ear, the fingertips of his left hand trailing up and down her back as his right arm pulled her in closer. "Please, stay here. I'm sure the old hag can find someone else..." She wanted to follow his orders. She wanted to just fall into him, to love him and stay with him, but one thing was eating at her._

_"S-Sasuke-kun...I...we...Sasuke-kun..."_

_"What is it? Are you bothered by this?" he asked, moving his head to trail soft kisses on her neck._

_"N-No! W-Well, u-under normal circumstances...I-I mean...We...!"_

_"What is it? Spit it out, you silly girl."_

_"S-Sasuke-kun! We're right outside of Ichiraku's!" A violent blush attacked her face all at once as she clenched his shirt and buried her head in his chest. "C-Could we go someplace more...p-private, please...?" There was a pause before the heiress heard his deep chuckle, which in turn sent involuntary (but welcomed) shivers down her spine._

_"You really are a funny girl. Alright then, Hyuuga. We can go to my apartment."_

_They ended up talking for the rest of the day, and that night, he wouldn't let Hinata out of his arms._

xxx

That damn memory just wouldn't go away. It was the night before they left for the mission; the _only _night that Hinata let her become his. _Well...We didn't really do what I _wanted_ to..._ He grimaced as he remembered the harsh slap he received after his hand..._wandered_ to a place which made his shy hime squeal. His face softened, however, as he recalled what was said before they fell into slumber.

_"You know, you're going to marry me after this."_

_"I know, Sasuke-kun. I can't wait to become your wife..."_

Although she was half asleep and probably didn't mean for that to slip, the Uchiha was still filled with a primal male pride; to think about it logically, they were now engaged. Of course, no one could know- they were on a very important mission, after all- but who knew how long this would take? Days? Weeks? Yea-

"Oh Sasuke-kuuuuun! Hey, let's just hang out!" _Oh great. Here we go._

"What is it, Sakura?" His voice was cold; he had no time for the bubblegum haired kunoichi, not when he was thinking about his-

"Oh Sasuke-kun, we just haven't talked much lately, that's all!" _Have you ever thought that there was a reason for that?_ His only reply was a curt 'hn' as he turned from her. "Hey, that's not fair. I bet you wouldn't do that to _Hinata-chan._" His eyes widened, if only a fraction, at the girls comment. Without realizing, he turned to her with a slightly shocked countenance.

"What makes you say that?" He saw the slight scowl on her face which only lasted for a second as it returned to her usual smile.

"Oh nothing. Anyways-"

"Don't change the subject. Why would you say something like that?" He was getting worried; was she just kidding around?

"Well..." He noticed her voice getting softer as she turned her head away. Not. Good. "You always stare at her...and stick up for her... And...well...there was the day that we left the village...you...and her..." He heard her let out a slight sigh before she turned to look into his eyes. "Sasuke-kun...don't you love me anymore...?"

The Uchiha twitched at this. "Sakura, what the _hell_ made you think that I loved you before?" He growled, instinctively backing away from the kunoichi. "Ever since I've known you, you've been a crazy and obsessed fan girl..." He saw her start to tear up, but decided to continue. "I've never loved you, Sakura, and I never will. Hinata is the only one for-"

_Sniffle. Sniffle._

"Y-You really do love her, don't you...?"

_Sniffle Sniffle._

"Your point?"

_Sniffl- Sob._

"It's not fair! I've known you longer! I know everything about you! Why?" He couldn't stand it; this stupid girl was keeping him from his Hime! "Sasuke...Sasuke! Answer me, dammit!" _Maybe if I just stay quie- _"I will get her out of the way, do you hear me? I will get Hinata out of the way! You mark my words, Sasuke! You will be mine!"

Speechless. He was speechless. He couldn't respond as the kunoichi crashed her lips onto his. He couldn't function as she pushed him away. He couldn't interrogate her as she stormed out of his room.

_Hinata...Hinata..._

Suddenly, her name didn't sound so wasteful.

xxx

"Are you enjoying yourself? Acting like this... Hyuuga, do you really intend to follow through with this mission...?" Hinata shied away as Sasuke approached her; all she was doing was taking a tour of her new 'home', when all of a sudden the Uchiha popped out of nowhere!

"S-Sasuke-kun..." Hinata stuttered, backing herself up against a wall as the avenger neared her.

"Don't say anything yet." Hinata closed her eyes, expecting to feel him against her, but instead was (disappointingly) surprised as contact never came. Her eyes fluttering open, they immediately went wide at the look she was receiving.

"Sasu-"

"We both know how naive you are...the act you put up while you're around everyone..." _An act...? How could he think I'm acting?_ "We both know what's coming...if you're going to run away, do it-"

A long silence overcame the two. Hinata practically pounced the raven-haired man, causing him to be straddled by the kunoichi. Looking into her eyes, he saw them glazed over with lust. Looking into his eyes, she saw..._Wait...what? Why is he...he looks so..._

"That was bold of you." He said flatly, finally breaking the silence.

"H-Hai..." Hinata blushed, a sinking feeling hitting the pit of her stomach.

"I'm very disappointed. I didn't expect that from you." Her face dropped, shame over-riding her features.

"Hai..." Another silence.

"Hyuuga...get off of me" The small woman practically jumped off of the avenger, backing up against the wall; as far from him as possible. "You're different than what I expected... Hinata." Her head shot up, her eyes wide. _N-No...h-he used my name...? Does that mean...?_ "I don't want you anymore."

Her heart stopped. Her knees buckled. Her body fell...

Her eyes shot open as un-shed tears escaped, trickling down her face. Her heart was pounding as she clenched her chest, sitting in an upright position her gaze directed to her lap.

"Hinata-chan...are you okay? You're crying..." _Naruto...?_ The Hyuuga heiress looked up, instantly showered with a beautiful blue gaze. Pale eyes widened with confusion, an indigo head whipping around, observing its surroundings. "Hinata-chan? Did you have a bad dream?" Her vision whipped back to the kitsune, realization overriding her features.

"A dream...it was just a bad dream..." she said softly, her expression turning blank.

"Um...yeah...?" Her lips started to quiver...her eyes glazed over...

"N-Naruto-kun!" She couldn't hold it back any longer; the sobs escaped her throat as her delicate arms wrapped around the blonde. "I-It was so sad...! I-I d-didn't know what I-I did wrong! A-And then h-he just...just...!"

"Shhh, it's okay Hinata-chan... Don't worry. I'm here..." Hinata blushed as she felt his strong arms return the hug, holding her close to his chest. "I'll let you cry until you're done, so cry as much as you like."

The Hyuuga giggled at this, a small smile appearing as she pulled back a little. "N-Naruto-kun...aren't you supposed to be telling me not to cry...?" she asked sweetly, another giggle escaping her.

Naruto smiled back, his trademark grin making her heart feel a bit lighter. "Well, usually I would, but...well, let's just put it like this: Your tears come from your eyes, making them a part of you. If you cried on me, that would mean that with every tear, I'm getting more and more of you..." Hinata stopped breathing, her vision overtaken by even more blue. "Hinata-chan..."

"N-Naruto-kun...?" Her eyes widened; that look he was giving her just seemed so...so... "N-Naruto-kun...!"

"I'm sorry Hinata...just this once." His face moved closer, his warm breath cascading her soft lips. She froze. Speechless. Green eyes widened as the kitsune made contact with the heiress.

_Yes. She will be out of the way._

xxx

_I knew it wasn't right; kissing her like that, I knew I shouldn't have. But, it was for Sakura...what else was I supposed to do...?_

Naruto lingered on her lips for a few seconds more than planned. His eyes still shut, the kitsune slowly pulled away as the Hyuuga's shaky breathing could be heard over his own.

"N-Naruto-kun...?" _Damn it. I can't believe I did that. If anyone finds out...If Sasuke finds out...!_ The kitsune suddenly went into a self induced panic attack. Forgetting the Hyuuga's presence, Naruto played multiple scenarios in his mind; most of them consisting of a loss of a certain..._male_ part.

"Dammit! Why did I do that?" He growled at himself, burying his head in his hand. "I can't believe I actually kissed her! What the hell is wrong with me?" Pulling at his hair, he continued to freak out until he heard the stifled sobs coming from in front of him.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, N-Naruto-kun...I-I didn't m-mean to be s-such a burden..." _Oh crap. She's still here._ "I-I'm s-sorry that y-you felt l-like you h-had to k-kiss me, a-also...I-I know h-how undesirable I-I am...P-Please f-forgive me..." As tears rolled down the Hyuuga's face, Naruto felt something inside of him break. _She's crying...and she's sorry...and it's not even her fault..._

"Hinata-chan...What's your relationship with the teme?" The heiress' tears seemed to increase at the mention of the Uchiha's name. _I know they're not serious...they can't be serious...but still...I need her to say it._ "Don't worry, Hinata-chan. I won't tell anyone. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the mission for you." _Although I already have..._ Naruto waited patiently for her reply; it was the least he could do after attacking her like that. "Take your ti-"

"S-Sasuke-kun and I a-are engaged." Naruto's heart stopped. _E...Engaged?_

Realizing that he held his breath, he slowly let it out again.

_Engaged...they're engaged...I didn't know it was so serious. So Sakura doesn't have a chance...? _"W-Well, we were engaged, but..." Naruto snapped his attention back to Hinata as she continued to speak.

"But, what?" The kitsune ushered as a slight pause had taken effect.

"B-But...I-I don't think h-he'll want me a-after this...!" Her sobs returned, if not harder than before as she slightly hugged herself. "I-I'm s-sorry, N-Naruto-kun...! I-I don't mean to impose my problems onto you...!" Naruto felt sick. _What the hell am I doing...? I'm trying to break up my best friend and Hinata-chan...the same fragile Hinata-chan who blames everything on herself...the shy innocent Hinata-chan who sees a simple hug as betrayal...What could she be feeling now?_

With all his agility, the blonde shinobi leapt off of the Hyuuga.

"Hinata-chan! Don't apologize! It's not your fault! I'm just an idiot!" Seeing that her state didn't change, Naruto pressed on. "Hinata-chan! Go see the teme right now! Tell him what I did before someone else has the chance! If you do that, I promise that he won't get mad at you!" Her sobs refused to subside, so in one swift motion he grabbed he arm and yanked her up. "Don't be an idiot! Go now!" Perhaps it was out of fear, but Hinata immediately darted out of Naruto's grip and out of his sight.

He lost his balance and fell onto the bed._ Why did I do that? Sakura...Hinata...Teme...I'm so-_

"Naruto. What are you doing in here?"

xxx

"Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun! I have something urgent to tell you!" The pinkette panted heavily as she burst into the Uchiha's room.

"Weren't you just here?" He asked dully, obviously over the shock he received just minutes before._ Oh yes, Sasuke-kun, but now you will wish for me to stay..._

"Sasuke-kun...! I'm sorry for what I said before, but this is an emergency!"

"Well, what is it this time?" The Uchiha didn't even bother to make eye contact with her! The nerve of some men! But that was going to change in three...two...on-

"S-S-Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun!" A bawling Hinata burst into the room, rushing past a glaring Sakura and leaping into the avenger's arms. "I-I'm sorry...! I'm so, so sorry, S-Sasuke-kun...!"_ Great. My plans thwarted by the slut herself_. The kunoichi sighed heavily, now crossing her arms to view the spectacle about to unfold.

"Hinata? What happened? Are you okay?" The Hyuuga stopped crying, only to look up at the avenger with wide, scared eyes.

"You...You used my n-name..." Sakura raised a brow as the young heiress tried to escape from Sasuke's arms, only to inevitably fail as the Uchiha held her in place.

"Hinata...what's wrong with using your name?" Sasuke had such care...such worry in his voice...it made Sakura sick.

"W-Well, I-I had a bad dream...a-and when you used my name, y-you said that you didn't love me anymore..." Deciding that she had enough, Sakura decided to make her presence known.

"Hey, Hinata, are you okay?" The pinkette faked concern as the Hyuuga visibly flinched.

"S-Sakura-chan...I-I didn't know you were h-here...D-Did I interrupt something?" Before the kunoichi could answer, the avenger butted in.

"No, Hinata. You didn't." Now directing a piercing gaze up to Sakura, he continued to speak. "I trust that you won't speak a word of this to anyone?" _Why in the world would he think that? Of course I'm going to tell someone._

"Don't worry. I may be stubborn, but I'm not evil, Sasuke-kun. Your secret is safe with me." Sakura let out a sour grin as Hinata thanked her and Sasuke 'hned'. Taking that as her cue to leave, she promptly did, but not before an idea popped into her pretty pink little head.

_It seems like I have to pay the older one a visit._


	4. Chapter 4

Missions Chapter 4

xxx

"G-Gaara." The Kazekage took note of this stutter. "Why are you here?" The sand nin examined the kitsune's face; ever since he was revived, the Kage taught himself to read others expression. Deciding to be nice, he answers Naruto's question.

"It's my room." _Wait. This is...odd._ "Where's Hyuuga-san?" For some reason, Gaara felt like he needed to keep pretenses up around the other leaf-nin; he only called Hinata by her first name when they were alone.

"She's...um...I don't know." Naruto's eyes drifted off to the side causing Gaara to cock his eyebrow.

"Really now?" He said it in the form of a statement, not a question, and for some miraculous reason, it caused the kitsune to crack.

"She went to go see Sasuke-teme!"

"Really now?" Same response, no inflection of his voice whatsoever.

"She went because-!"

"Hokage-sama! You're needed in the conference room!" Gaara turned to the door and nodded grimly. _Damn, it never ends._ Turning back to Naruto, whose face seemed as white as a ghost, Gaara mentally shrugged.

"I probably...wouldn't care." he said stoically, walking out of the room.

Three hours. Three hours of silence, of darkness, of anticipation. Gaara was getting impatient; how long would he have to wait?

"I'm glad you didn't turn back on our agreement." The sand-nin instantly whipped his head to the direction of the voice. "Everything going as planned?"

_Silence._

"Might I remind you-"

"Five shinobi from the leaf village arrived yesterday. I'm sure they came to investigate."

"The leaf village...anyone you know?"

"One that I'm close to. Two I was caught in battle with. One I'm trying to court. One who is her cousin." A silence over came them; stiff. _Thick_.

"I see. Their names?"

"Haruno, Hyuuga, Uchiha, and Uzumaki."

"The Yondaime's boy...I see." A slight pause. "Do they suspect anything?"

"...I believe that they are too self involved in each other to truly execute their missions."

"Good. Keep going as planned.".

xxx

"Neji-nii-san!" The prodigy froze in his tracks, cringing as he heard the familiar voice that was not his hime.

"What the hell are you doing...?" He growled, glaring at the pink haired kunoichi with vehemence.

"I just figured that it would get your attention;which I need." The usually calm and composed nin couldn't help but let a sliver of surprise come across his pale features. "Come." the kunoichi ordered, drifting past him as she searched for their hallway. Since her back was turned, she couldn't see the snarl that came across the newly annoyed prodigy's face.

"Why the hell should I? You're definitely not worth-"

"It's about Hinata."

Even if he wasn't interested before, he sure as hell was now.

"Are you coming in?" Neji didn't even realize that they reached the room until she invited him in. _If anyone sees this... _The thought fluttered through his head before he pushed it aside, and against better judgment he took a step in.

"What is it?" The nin growled, not stepping in anymore than he had to.

"Don't act so hostile. We're fellow ninja of the same village." That, for some odd reason, caused an intricate thought process. _That's right. I am a bit edgy today. Why is that? Everything is going as planned...if anything I should be relaxing. Damn, why the hell am I even here? Like Sakura would know anything about Hina-hime that I don't...but if that's the case...then is she trying to..._

As if reading his mind, Sakura smiled. "I'm not trying to seduce you. I wouldn't lie to you, so just relax." He refused to let his guard down. He had an extremely bad feeling about this encounter...

"Hinata." He was caught off guard at the sound of her voice. From its once sweet tone it turned hostile instantly. "She's jeopardizing the mission." Neji could barely believe his ears!

"Where the hell do you get off-?"

"She's with Sasuke as we speak." That shut him up. "Earlier, she burst into his room sobbing. It was there I found out..."_ A dramatic pause...? How tacky._

"Found out what?" he sighed, obviously irritated by the girls antics. It was then, but only for a flash, that she let out a smirk. "She's dating Sasuke-kun."

Pale eyes widened. Shock ruled over coherent speech. Footsteps led away from the doorway.

_Hinata (hime) and the Uchiha...what the fuck?_

xxx

"Gaara." The female voice was soft yet stern, instantly gaining the attention of the Kazekage.

"What?" Not much of a conversationalist, is he?

"The Hyuuga heiress is dating the Uchiha." The fan nin gauged the reaction of her brother; he never freaked out, but if he was angry she wanted to tell everyone else to back the fuck of-

"I know. Naruto told me." This response, in short, surprised the kunoichi.

"You...he did? Why?" She couldn't control herself; why the hell would Naru-tard jeopardize his own mission?

"He didn't directly. But I could tell." Temari was quickly tiring of her brother of few words. Just as she was about to respond, he began again. "He was in my room and was extremely frazzled. He began blurting out everything for some strange reason." Temari held in her nervous chuckle. _It must have been one of Gaara's _really now?_ moments._

"Well...what are you going to do?" Temari chanced that question. Would he tell her? Would she want to know the answer? "You know what? Nevermi-"

"I want her." _Just like a kid._ "I need her." _So fast?_ "She's important to our goal." _Our goal?_

"Gaara...what are you talking abou-"

"A sacrifice. A virgin sacrifice." An uncomfortable silence overtook the room.

"G-Gaara...why do you...?" She was at a loss for words. _What's going on here? What have he and the...No. They couldn't be..._ "Kankuro." The kazekage showed no reaction to the name. "Gaara...where's Kankuro?" Silence. "Gaara!" Temari was losing control. "Tell me what's going on! I'm your sister! Your advisor! Gaara! Tell me!" Her breathing was getting heavy as her brother walked towards a large window overlooking the village. Did he kill him?_ Gaara...you didn't...he's your brother..._

"They said that if we followed instructions, he'd be safe." It was barely a whisper, and if it weren't for the complete silence in the room, the fan nin never would have heard it. "They have him...it was a low blow..." Despite her character, Temari's eyes instantly widened.

"Gaara...what did you do...? What did you get yourself into...?" His eyes. The way he looked at her. Full of sorrow, remorse. _Hate._ "Hinata...the leaf nin...Kankuro...what are they for...?" A sad smile, turned back to outlook the village. His village. _Their village._

"Akatsuki."


	5. Chapter 5

Missions Chapter 5

xxx

"S-Sasuke-kun..." The avenger lazily opened one of his eyes to glance at the shy kunoichi snuggling into his chest. He smirked as he noticed that her face was buried into it- normally this wouldn't spark any thought, but this time he was, in fact, _shirtless_, and the lack of hesitance on Hinata's part piqued his curiosity. "S-Sasuke-kun?" Hinata peeked her head up, not realizing that he was already starring at her. When she made eye contact she quickly ducked her head again, burying it deeper into his embrace. Letting out a slight chuckle to her reaction, the Uchiha decided to respond.

"Hinata-chan." Ah, he loved saying her name. "Hinata-chan, are you going to tell me what happened?" His hand found its way to her soft hair, where he subconsciously began to stroke it. He loved the way it felt- so silky and smooth- and he loved the way it slid through his fingers. He loved the way she wrapped her arms around him, the way she fit into his body. He loved her soft voice, her pretty smile, the way she said his name...He loved he-

"Naruto-kun kissed me."

His grip on her hair instantly but accidentally tightened, causing the Hyuuga heiress to whimper in pain. She was about to speak again, but before she could continue she was silenced by the raging Sharingan in her face.

He was speechless. He wanted to ask what happened, he wanted her to explain everything that happened, but his throat suddenly went dry. So instead, he did the only thing he _could_ think of. Releasing the grip on her hair, he pat her head and gently lifted her to the side. His feet touched the floor as he lifted himself off of the bed and made his way to the door. _What the hell was he thinking...? How dare he make my hime cry...it's not her fault...she didn't initiate it...he took advantage of her...him...HIM. He needs to pay. He needs to die. He hurt her. Her. HE_

"S-Sasuke-kun...I'm s-so s-sorry... I-I understand if you h-hate me now...I-I would hate me, too...I-I betrayed you...I kissed another man...I-I'm so sorry Sasuke-kun!" Her voice. Her soft, sweet voice. It stopped him in his tracks. It squeezed his heart.

"Hinata-chan..." He didn't know where to start. How could she think all those things?

"I-I'm disgusting, I-I know..." Sobs. Choked sobs. She was hurting. _Why am I just standing here?_ "Y-You don't have to leave...this is your room...I'll go..." Her heart was breaking. He could hear the sobs come freely now. Off the bed. Directly behind him. Directly in front of him. _Move...move...! _"T-Thank you for everything, S-Sasuke-kun...I...I really enjoyed being in love with you..." The door. Her hand was on the door. She was leaving. Leaving?

"NO!" He finally found his voice as he grabbed her arm and slammed her body against his in a crushing embrace. "No! Don't leave me! Don't go!" He missed the look of shock on his love's face as he buried his face in her neck. "Hinata-koi...I love you. I love you so much...don't leave me like everybody else...I don't hate you...its not your fault...you did nothing wrong...don't blame yourself!" _Since when did I turn into a hopeless romantic..?_

"S Sasuke...Sasuke-kun!" She couldn't hold it in anymore as she violently crying into his chest.

Hina-koi...I'll take care of you forever.

xxx

_I've had it for as long as I can remember. I don't know how it got started, but before I knew it, it was just there._

The kitsune sighed, laying on the roof of the most lavish establishment in Suna. He'd been lying there for hours, since the little incident with a certain Hyuuga, and before he knew it, it was deep into the night. _Sakura...how can I tell you?_

For the past several hours, his thoughts had been toying with the idea to tell Sakura everything; not only the intense SasuHina pairing, but also the fact that his feelings for the pink haired kunoichi was more than just a simple infatuation from childhood. Only realizing that his eyes were closed when they drifted open to gaze at the stars, he sighed at the sight. "It's so clear out no clouds in sight. She would love this "

"Who would love this, Naruto?" The blonde immediately shot up as a feminine voice interrupted his thoughts, only to let his shoulders slacken at the recognition of the fellow nin.

"Sakura-chan, you startled me." Naruto admitted with a sheepish smile, only briefly entertaining the thought of why he didn't feel her presence sooner.

"God, Naruto, I swear, your ninja skills are seriously lacking." The kunoichi teased, letting out a playful smirk as she took a seat next to the blonde. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question! Do you have a girl back home or something?"

"No, it's nothing like that, Sakura-chan. You know you're the only girl for me." The kitsune replied right away, a slight blush adorning his cheeks.

"Aha, you sure know how to flatter a girl, Naruto." The green-eyed girl giggled as she gently nudged Naruto's arm. "But, they are really nice. Nothing like Konoha."

"I know what you mean. Here, they're so clear. I mean, Konoha's are pretty nice, too, but these are like, BAM!" Naruto smiled as Sakura laughed.

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun would love this, too." His smile instantly deteriorated at the mention of his teammate. "Remember when we were genin? We used to watch the stars together all the time."

"Um no we didn't."

"Yeah, I know, but it would have been nice to watch them with him."

"Sakura "

"Naruto." Sakura giggled at her own playfulness, not paying any mind to the unusually quiet blonde next to her.

"Why do you always chase after Sasuke?" The atmosphere instantly tensed as the pinkette looked at the blonde in shock.

"I'm not _chasing_ him, Naruto." She defended sternly but quietly. "He's just a little shy. I'm sure that when he's comfortable he'll return my feelings." The slight smile that came to her face almost broke the concerned boy. _She doesn't know...She doesn't know... _The kitsune's hands clenched into fists as he took a deep breath.

"Sakura there's something I have to tell you." His voice grew quieter as the kunoichi gave him her full attention. "Sasuke is in love with Hinata. They're getting married after this mission." Because he was looking down, Naruto missed the scowl that fluttered across Sakura's face. Taking her silence as extreme shock, the ninja attempted to console her. "I'm so sorry, Sakura. This must hurt you so much. I-"

"It doesn't hurt,_ Naruto_." The girl said through clenched teeth. "In fact, I don't think that it's _anything_ to worry about. They're going to be separated, anyway." The smirk that came across Sakura's face confused and deeply troubled Naruto.

"Sakura, what are you-"

"They don't belong together, you know. Sasuke is so _amazing_. He's strong, he's handsome, but when paired with someone like _Hinata_...I mean, have you even seen the girl? She's so plain! She's not very strong, she has no skill as a kunoichi...she's not even Which is why I've taken it upon myself to make sure that Sasuke ends up in the arms of someone worthy."

"And who would you consider worthy?" The blonde questioned, his curiosity getting the better of him. There was a chuckle, a smug grin, and an air of complete confidence around the medical nin.

"Isn't it obvious? Me, of course." Green eyes narrowed into blue as she continued. "I'm not the only one who thinks so, you know. Just a little while ago, I told Neji of their relationship. If they won't listen to reason, then they'll just have to be pulled apart by force."

"But what about _Sasuke's _feelings?" The simple question created a deafening silence. "You must realize that no matter how much you claim to love him, he'll never love you back! Hinata love Sasuke more than anything! And Sasuke loves Hi-!"

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Sakura's sudden outburst quickly silenced the ninja. "No one could love Sasuke as much as I do! That's why it's so horrible!"

"It's horrible to watch Sasuke be happy?"

"No! That's not it! Dammit, Naruto! You have no idea how it feels to watch the person you loved for years fall in love with someone else!" The look in her eyes reflected absolute pain, and the response that Naruto had died in his throat.

"Sakura-chan, I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Naruto. Maybe it was wrong of me to trust you " The boy grew silent as the girl removed herself from the spot beside him, leaving it cold and empty.

_Oh, Sakura-chan why did it turn out like this ? Please don't become this way Come to your senses soon... And notice _me_ instead._

xxx

"What the hell do you think you two are doing? You're going to blow our cover!"

"We didn't want this stupid mission in the first place!"

"It doesn't matter whether you wanted it or not! What matters is that you're here now, so don't fuck it up!" Hinata shook in Sasuke's bed, the thin silk sheet covering what little she had on. It was only moments ago that her and Sasuke were enjoying the benefits of being a couple when a certain Branch House member burst into the Uchiha's room, his face livid.

"Nii-san it's not what you think !" Hinata's voice wavered with her lie, her pale eyes widening in fear as her cousin shot her an angry glare.

"It's not, is it? So you mean, you just _happened_ to be in the same bed as the Uchiha _without_ clothes on?"

"W-Well, no but, I mean um Sasuke-kun just said that I had a hole in my pants, so I took them off so I could see!"

"And then you took off your shirt, _why_?"

"Um well, you see, I didn't want him to see me in my underwear, so I took it off to cover his head!"

"Then you just _laid_ in his _bed_?"

"Well, the door opened and I was startled, so I jumped into his bed to keep myself safe!" There was a look of contemplation on the older Hyuuga's face, and for a second Hinata thought that she successfully fooled him. But _just_ as she thought he would back off...

"Hinata if that's true...Then why the hell are Sasuke's clothes off, too?" Hinata quailed at his sudden raise in volume, but before she could come up with an excuse, Sasuke replied with a smug grin.

"In her innocent ignorance, I wanted to take full advantage of her." Both Hyuuga's turned absolutely red; Hinata from the embarrassment of her lover's response, and Neji from pure albeit anger.

"Dammit, Uchiha! That's it! I'm taking Hinata! You stay away from her!" The branch member roared at the Uchiha heir, snatching Hinata's wrist and yanking her off of the bed, revealing her pure white underwear and a few red spots along her abdomen.

"N-Nii-san?" the heiress squeaked in surprise, tearing the bed sheet off the bed in an attempt to cover herself.

"I don't want to hear it right now! You're going to be in big trouble when I tell your father about this!"

"W-What? N-No, Nii-san! Please! You can't tell him! Please, Nii-san! Plea-"

'Be quiet, Hinata!" Neji squeezed her wrist unintentionally, but at the yelp of the fragile girl he instantly felt a strong grip on his own.

"Hyuuga. Let. Her. Go. Now." The Uchiha growled, his Sharingan activated.

"No. Way. In. Hell. Uchiha." The Hyuuga growled back, subconsciously activating his Byakugan.

"I'm warning you, Hyuuga." Hinata bit her lip as she watched their interaction, tears threatening to escape her wide eyes.

"Back off, Uchiha. She's not staying with you. You'll never have her."

"Neither will you." The tension in the air quickly increased tenfold, creating a momentary pause.

"S-Sasuke-kun...? W-What do you...?"

"Hinata, haven't you ever wondered why Neji isn't fucking TenTen?" A new blush quickly covered her face, and if the circumstances were different, both males would comment on her obvious cuteness. Instead, though, Sasuke only continued. "It's because he's in love with you."

"Don't listen to him, Hinata! It's not true!" Neji replied quickly, his grip on her wrist loosening.

"It's not, is it? Then would you _please_ tell us exactly what those looks you always give her when you think no one else is looking _mean_?"

"I...That...I was only just-"

"Nii-san is it true...? Are you really...?"

"Hinata..." The small girl violently shook her head, her tears now flowing freely.

"I-It's not true! I refuse to believe it! That's so perverted, Nii-san! You can't be in love with me!" Her heart beating wildly, Hinata pushed past the two silent men, forcing open to locked door with a quick kick.

"I hope you're happy, Uchiha." Neji spat with vehemence, turning from the heir and stomping out of his room.

xxx

Hinata ran. That's all the confused girl _could_ do. _Nii-San...he...he couldn't possibly..._! It took several moments for the distraught Hyuuga heiress to realize that she had no idea where she was running, and when she finally _stopped_, it took just as long for her to register where she ended up. "A...garden..." she whispered softly, subconsciously wiping the tears from her eyes.

Wandering around on a paved path leading through the plentiful foliage, the shy kunoichi attempted to console herself- unfortunately, all that entailed was listening to a nearby fountain while trying to think of something else. It was after her realization that her attempts were in vain when she spotted a conveniently placed bench in the company of a flower she did not recognize. Deciding that a well-deserved rest was in order, the Hyuuga briefly scanned her surroundings before gently placing herself on the wooden seat.

Silence surrounded her, the night air chilly as she became aware of her lack of coverage. In the heat of the argument between her cousin and her lover, she didn't think to dress in anything more than her oversized jacket and the sheet she just happened to pull off Sasuke's bed. _It's no time to be regretting past decisions._ She contemplated, her gaze meeting the sight of her fidgeting fingers. This all got out of hand- wasn't their mission to find out what Suna was planning? How in the world did her relationship with Sasuke surface? And just how much has she found out about Gaara? In fact, she had barely spent time in the company of the Kazekage- how the heck did she get so distracted?

It was then she heard something behind her. The rustling stopped immediately after it was made, but the startled Hyuuga didn't take it lightly. Deciding she was already to distressed to take the situation with caution, she warily called out. "H-Hello...? Is anyone there...?" Her voice cracked, but she didn't particularly care anymore. She just wanted this night to be over with, and the sooner she dealt with this distraction the sooner she could go off to bed.

"I'm sorry to have startled you." The chilling voice sent shivers down her spine as Hinata immediately came to full attention. "I just saw you running here..."

"K-Kazekage-sama..." The Hyuuga's heart started throbbing; here he was, the Kazekage in all his glory looking so professional, and her in a bed sheet and a jacket! Ducking her head down, tears threatened to spill as her usual blush spread across her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry- I'll go to my room right away."

She was just about to get up when his figure appeared next to her, taking a seat closest to the flower. "Hinata-san, do you know what this flower is?" Gaara asked softly, brushing his fingers along the soft petals. Looking up in slight surprise, the heiress quickly studied the flower only to realize that in the past five minutes her knowledge of botany did not improve.

"I-I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama, but I do not." She answered softly, letting her hair fall around her face like a dark veil.

"Neither do I." Without much thought, the Hyuuga let out a stifled giggle.

"What a pointless question!" She laughed, letting out a small smile. Her breath caught in her throat, however, as her innocent gaze met his. Her light blush immediately intensified, her thoughts frazzled and all words lost in her throat.

_W-Why is he staring at me so intensely?_

xxx

She didn't remember how long it's been.

Five days, maybe more. She didn't hear a thing. _She didn't hear a thing_. How could he be gone now?

More (or perhaps less) importantly, how could her younger brother be taking it so lightly? _No. Not lightly. _She knew he understood the gravity of the situation. But how could he allow the Akatsuki to control him so easily? Maybe Kankuro was indeed a weak spot.

She had been there since the first meeting. Well, not _in_ the meeting, but her brother told her everything right after. They had taken the puppeteer captive, and in return for his safety they wanted Hinata Hyuuga. As for the reason, though, she was unsure.

Nobody besides the siblings knew of the predicament. All other ninja thought that the elder brother was on a mission to some far off village in search of...wait, what was it? The lie seemed so far back. The blonde couldn't remember.

_What does the Akatsuki want? Is it really worth putting our alliance with Konoha at risk? Or...does Gaara have something else planned? The ninja sent to Suna were considered some of the best. Perhaps the giant dinner party-!_

Perhaps the party is really meant to usurp the authority of the Akatsuki?

Or maybe this was all speculation.

The sand nin bit her bottom lip, walking through the corridors to Gaara's bedroom. She wasn't exactly sure why she was going that way, but her mind and her feet didn't seem to be in direct connection at the moment.

She couldn't get the Hyuuga out of her mind.

It was too soon to call it an obsession, but she couldn't begin to comprehend why the Akatsuki would need the heiress. Her thoughts were moving in circles; no matter what she thought about, it always ended on the shy kunoichi. It's all her fault. It's true, the blonde nin couldn't help but blame their current predicament on the pale-eyed beauty. But why go through Suna?

There were too many questions.

There were no answers.

There was no time to waste.

So why the hell wasn't Gaara opening his door?

xxx

"K-Kazekage-sama...?" Her soft stutter only served to aggravate the red head, his green eyes gazing deep into hers.

"I told you to call me Gaara." There it was again- that violent blush which captivated him, caused him to act so out of character. Leaning in, he placed his mouth next to her ear. "Right, _Hinata-chan_...?"

He could feel her shiver as he moved his body closer to hers, his hand finding its way to her cheek. Something like pride swelled within him as he observed the effect he was having on the shy girl- most of the female race would have run away by now, but for some reason the heiress stayed. Was she enjoying this?

Was it just to get information?

His heart hardened at that thought- was this all just for her village? Of course it was- it was common knowledge that she was with the Uchiha, no matter how well they thought they were hiding it. All her blushes, all her reactions, everything she said were just precalculated gestures to complete her mission.

But wasn't he doing the same?

This act of seduction was just to take the Hyuuga before anyone could notice, right? Just as she was doing, the Kazekage was just trying to keep his village safe. So why was he so angry?

"G-Gaara...sama..." He heard her stutter out, and in that instant he decided he couldn't take it anymore. There was no way he loved her, but he couldn't deny the lust and curiosity which lurked beneath the surface of his calm facade. All the lying, cheating; it was getting quite cumbersome, therefore he did all that he could do to keep from going on a violent rampage.

He kissed her.

And not gently.

Crashing his lips onto hers, he growled at the squeak emitted from the confused girl. He kept his eyes open, staring deep into hers as she tried to figure out just what was going on.

What was going on? He didn't know. He didn't care.

All he knew was that he wanted to keep going.

The small hands that were at her sides immediately found their way to his chest, trying their damndest to push him away, but he wasn't having it. He knew she was hurt by the way she looked so downtrodden earlier, and soon enough tears fell from her eyes as she started to kiss him back, hands clutching onto the same spot she was pushing just seconds before. Her eyes closed and he found one of his hands grasping her wrist as his other dove into her hair. Finally closing his eyes, he slowly pulled away for air and a name escaped the Hyuuga's lips.

"S-Sasuke..."


End file.
